Slovenian ploughing of the Himalayan virgin soil:

Slovenian ploughing of the Himalayan virgin soil: Annapurna 1969 and Kangbachen 1965.



In the mid-20th century, the first ascent of Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 was still echoing around the world; in the Himalayas, it was a time of big and expensive expeditions, but the first seven Slovenian Himalayan climbers set off in 1960 under very modest conditions. The goal of the expedition led by Stane Kersnik was Trisul in the Indian Himalayas. Aleš Kunaver and Ante Mahkota achieved the first Slovenian or Yugoslav ascent of a six-thousander with the first ascent route on Trisul II (6690 m), and together with Marjan Keršič - Belač they also climbed Trisul III (6270 m). Other members of the expedition were Ciril Debeljak - Cic, doctor Andrej Robič, and journalist Zoran Jerin. Despite the unsuccessful crossing to the main summit, the expedition was successful in terms of gaining Himalayan and organizational experience.







In 1965, the second Yugoslav alpine Himalayan expedition with twelve members set off to the Himalayas: leader Jože Govekar - Jozva, doctor Jože Andlovic, Marko Butinar, Ciril Debeljak - Cic, Pavle Dimitrov, Ljubo Juvan, Anton Sazonov - Tonač, Metod Humar, Pavle Šimenc - Pablo, Tone Škarja, as well as journalist Zoran Jerin and scientist Andrej O. Zupančič. The goal was the unconquered summit of Kangbachen (7902 m), which remained untouched even after the Yugoslav attempt, although Dimitrov and Sazonov bivouacked at 7800 meters, just a hundred meters below the summit. Juvan and Humar, however, were the first to reach Kota 7538 m, as Jalung Ri was called at the time, and it is now considered the second highest peak that Slovenes were the first to conquer. "A more than two-week approach to the mountain - hot sun, monsoon rain, mud, leeches, lice ... A completely different Himalayas than I imagined. On the mountain, however, a strong desire to conquer the summit, the decision to bivouac just over a hundred meters below the summit. Today I am calm and happy that all those unsuccessful and uncertain steps of that time were not in vain and that Slovenian alpinism is at the very top of the world," recalls Anton Sazonov - Tonač.







On the third trip to the Himalayas in 1969, the alpinists wanted to try Kangbachen again, but the Nepalese authorities did not issue a permit for that mountain, but for Annapurna II. Under the leadership of Aleš Kunaver, they succeeded in the second ascent of the 7937 m high Annapurna II, which was achieved by Kazimir Drašlar - Mikec and Matija Maležič - Matic, and the third ascent of the 7540 m high Annapurna IV, on which Jože Andlovic, Lojze Golob, and Aleš Kunaver stood. They reached both summits in the classic expeditionary style, with the establishment of high-altitude camps, fixing ropes, and a large number of alpinists who worked in ropes for a long time for success on the mountain. Other members of the expedition were Klavdij Mlekuž, Anton Sazonov - Tonač, Franc Štupnik - Cicko, journalist Zoran Jerin, and botanists Tone Wraber and Andrej Martinčič. The expedition to Annapurna II and IV was the most successful alpine expedition that autumn in the Nepalese Himalayas, and at the same time, the alpinists were already eyeing the magical 8000-meter line, which was an indispensable legacy for the expedition to the south face of Makalu.







"The JAHO III expedition happened at a time when summit conquests were ending and the era of conquering Himalayan walls was beginning. Annapurna was not our choice; it was assigned to us by the competent official in some office in the Lion's Palace in Kathmandu. Take it or leave it, this is what you have, let's see how much you have in your pants. That's how it was; we came to the Himalayas as latecomers. Then we quickly climbed two summits, Annapurna IV and Annapurna II. So we can do it. This was the success of the expedition members, the dreams of the previous ones, and encouragement for the coming generation. Chroniclers wrote that it was the most successful expedition of autumn 1969. For beginners? Or did the learning period just end? Those few fingertips that ended up in some Nepalese chicken coop are just a memory," vividly describes the events half a century ago Kazimir Drašlar - Mikec.







In October 1975, the Slovenian alpine expedition led by Aleš Kunaver climbed the south face of the 8463-meter-high Makalu via a first ascent route and with this achievement placed Slovenia alongside the Himalayan superpowers, as it was only the third wall climbed in the Himalayas. In 1977, Andrej Štremfelj and Nejc Zaplotnik reached the summit of Gasherbrum I (8068 m), the second Slovenian eight-thousander, who on May 13, 1979, as the first Slovenes, also stood on the world's highest mountain - Everest (8848 m). Two days later, the summit was reached by Slovenian Stane Belak - Šrauf, Croat Stipe Božić, and Sherpa leader Nepalese Ang Phu; the expedition leader was Tone Škarja, who describes the valuable legacy of the first three JAHO for the further development of Slovenian Himalayan climbing: "Although we Slovenes were newcomers to the Himalayas, the first two expeditions - Trisul 60 and Kangbachen 65 - already set the spirit for the following ones: new route and new summit. However, they were officially unsuccessful, as they did not reach the main one, but only side summits. Although the third expedition set itself the task of taking a makeup exam on Kangbachen, the Nepalese allowed it only to repeat the ascent of Annapurna II (and IV). With the ascent of both summits, we confirmed the ability to climb at great heights. The fourth expedition also received permission for Makalu instead of Kangbachen. It did not reach the summit but climbed the south face. We settled the debt on both mountains in the following years: Kangbachen 1974 and Makalu 1975. Especially the last one ranked us among the Himalayan superpowers. From then on, the story is known - all the way to the last eight-thousander, Annapurna, in 1995."







The story is known; Slovenian alpinists climbed the 14 highest peaks in the world in 20 years, mostly via first ascent routes: in 1975 Makalu (8463 m), two years later Gasherbrum I (8068 m), in 1979 the world's highest peak Everest (8848 m). In 1984 it was time for Manaslu (8163 m) and two years later for Broad Peak (8047 m) and Gasherbrum II (8035 m). In 1987 they reached the summit of Dhaulagiri (8167 m), a year later Cho Oyu (8201 m), in 1989 Lhotse (8516 m) and Shishapangma (8046 m). A year later they reached Nanga Parbat (8125 m), in 1991 Kangchenjunga (8586 m), two years later K2 (8611 m), and in 1995 Annapurna I (8091 m), which was the last, fourteenth Slovenian eight-thousander conquered.